The present invention relates to a protective element particularly for shorts for sports use, such as for example for cycling, motorcycling, and gymnastic activity such as spinning and triathlon.
Currently, in cycling it is known to use shorts, made of optionally partially elasticated material, which cling to the body considerably and are usually worn without underwear.
The main problem for the athlete is that during races or practice the crotch is subjected to continuous stresses, since this part of the body is continuously in contact with the saddle and is therefore subjected to all the jolts produced by the unevenness of the terrain and by the vibrations transmitted by the bicycle frame.
Accordingly, localized reddenings are produced which can degenerate into cuts or blisters that make it difficult, if not impossible, to perform sports practice.
As a partial solution to these drawbacks, it is known to use shorts inside which padding, constituted by a cloth of suitable thickness made of textile material, is sewn internally at the crotch.
However, this solution is not ideal, since although the thickness of the padding can provide relief initially, it has been found that it tends to overheat the crotch and especially that also due to sweating there is continuous sliding between the crotch and the padding, which very soon cancels out the initial benefits.
Moreover, it has been found that the crotch rests on the padding, and the padding rests on the saddle, so as to form compression concentration regions that depend on the stresses applied during sports practice, and this entails even the onset of aches.
As a partial solution to these drawbacks, it is also known to provide shorts with which a bottom is associated by sewing at the crotch region, such bottom having a plurality of chambers arranged laterally to an axis that is longitudinal with respect to the saddle, the chambers being mutually separate and forming diversified contact regions for the crotch.
Although the chambers solve part of the drawbacks mentioned above, this solution and the preceding ones have the drawback that the padding or bottom are made of materials that are substantially rigid or scarcely elastic in a percentage that varies between approximately 0 and 2%, and this renders ineffective any small elastic deformation of the fabric that constitutes the shorts.
This fact limits considerably the freedom of movement of the body; moreover, the larger the padding, the thicker it becomes, further increasing overall rigidity and weight and thus preventing movements even more.
Moreover, a “diaper effect” is produced: when the cyclist dismounts from the bicycle and walks normally, he is thus further hindered in his movements by the presence of the padding or bottom.
Reducing the padding can provide greater freedom of movement, but has a considerable negative effect on the ability to protect from impacts and vibrations on the saddle.
Moreover, the use of padding or bottoms has been found to be subject, during cycling, to the formation of creases, owing to the arc-like shape of the crotch, and these creases produce further regions of discomfort both longitudinally and transversely to the crotch region.
Finally, it is noted that the use of padding in known bottoms affects the entire extension of the product, and this entails a further increase of the mentioned “diaper effect”.
In all of the known background art, the padding is in fact present over the entire extension of the product; even in the method that uses differentiated thicknesses, the flat padding part is obtained by compressing the padding, which thus affects also the apparently flat portions of the bottom.